Cath Jenkins
Chair of Vic Catchments
Cath Jenkins is Chair of Corangamite CMA. Cath and her family live on their farm in South Purrumbete where they operate a free-range egg business and livestock operation. Cath also works as an independent agribusiness consultant. Previously Cath has worked in roles as an Agribusiness manager with ANZ and as an Area Manager with Fonterra, where she worked closely with farming clients in the Colac and Cobden districts. Cath was previously the chair of the Dairy Industry Leadership Group and past treasurer of Women’s Health and Wellbeing Barwon South West. Cath has an Agricultural Science degree and postgraduate qualifications in professional writing. She is also a member and graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Cath and her husband Adam have four school-age children.
Peter Hilbig
Deputy Chair of Vic Catchments
Peter Hilbig was appointed Chair of Wimmera CMA in October 2017. He has lived at Halls Gap for most of the past thirty years employed locally as a teacher, education consultant then principal at Stawell Secondary College. He has also been a teacher at the Australian International School Malaysia and director of Shepherdson College in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. He is currently a part time Teaching and Leadership Adviser with Teach For Australia, coaching early career teachers in south western Victoria. Peter’s particular interest in the Wimmera and passion for sustainable catchment management was developed through six years as manager of Project Platypus – UpperWimmera Landcare, where he was inspired by the commitment of a diverse range of stakeholders using science to monitor and inform improvement in land and water quality, and to enhance biodiversity.
Peter is a Lieutenant with the Halls Gap CFA and a Justice of the Peace. He is a member of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and the Australian Council for Educational Leaders and is an accredited coach with Growth Coaching International. Peter is keen for the CMA to engage effectively with all stakeholders to achieve a healthy Wimmera catchment.
Tony Baker
Executive Officer
Tony Baker has over 25 years’ experience in the natural resource management industry. Tony is currently executive officer part-time. His substantive role is the Statutory and Strategic Manager for Wimmera CMA, where he has worked for 10 years. Prior to that Tony spent 13 years in the Queensland and Victorian Public Services. During his career Tony has played a leading role in developing and implementing significant improvements to natural resource management including water resources, agriculture, forestry and fire management, vegetation management, wildlife management and nature conservation. He is also Fellow of the Peter Cullen Trust.
Antony Ford
Glenelg Hopkins CMA
Tony chairs the Glenelg Hopkins CMA Board. He has over 35 years’ experience in Australian and international agribusiness, of which 25 years has been at senior executive level and on the boards of food manufacturing, horticultural and other institutions. Recently, Tony has been a senior executive and board member in production horticulture and food manufacturing at McCain Foods and as CEO at the largest amenity and vegetable nursery in Australia, Boomaroo Nurseries.
Presently consulting with the Korda Mentha advisory group he continues to work in the fresh vegetable, production glasshouse, fruit and broad scale agriculture, fruit and horticultural sectors. He has been involved in industry policy development and strategic planning across the industries, states and countries he has operated with.
Sarah Parker
Goulburn Broken CMA
Sarah holds a Masters in Agriculture and Rural Development and a Bachelor of Leisure Management. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, National Farmers Federation Diversity in Agricultural Leadership Program, and the Victorian Climate Smart Agriculture Fellowship Program.
She has experience in executive and management roles in agriculture, extension and research, community development, and education. Sarah has been a partner in an irrigated dairy farm at Undera, in the Goulburn Valley, since 2004. Sarah holds board and committee positions with Australian Women in Agriculture, National Rural Women’s Coalition, Australian Dairy Collective, Victorian Farmers Federation, and National Farmers Federation.
Sarah values a sustainable future for agriculture and the environment and is enthusiastic about the next generation becoming more involved in natural resource management.
Allison McTaggart
Mallee CMA
Allison is the principal consultant at Allison McTaggart and Associates, a human resources and business consultancy firm. Her consultancy work includes strategic planning, governance, recruitment, training, corporate communications and workplace health and safety.
Allison is a Director of Western Murray Irrigation and her family owned earthmoving business. Allison has chaired the Murray Primary Health Network Community Consultative Committee for the past two years. She formerly held roles with the Australian Table Grape Growers Association as the Manager for Communications and Industry Analysis and, more recently, Workforce Development Officer with the Murray Primary Health Network. Current memberships include: Australian Human Resource Institute; Governance Institute of Australia; Institute of Community Directors Australia; and Australian Institute of Company Directors fellow.
Allison holds a Bachelor of Arts (Management Communication) and an Associate Diploma (Animal Production).
Euan Ferguson AFSM
North Central CMA
Euan is a forester and fire/emergency manager with over 40 years of experience. Prior to retiring in 2010, Euan was the Chief Officer of Victoria’s Country Fire Authority (CFA) for 5 years (2010-2015); and prior to that, Chief Officer and CEO of the South Australian Country Fire Service (CFS) for 9 years (2001-2010).
Recent executive roles include acting as the Community Recovery Coordinator for the 2019/20 Northern NSW Bushfires; for the March 2018 Tathra (NSW) bushfire recovery and Recovery Coordinator for the April 2017 Northern Rivers (NSW) floods. In 2017, Euan was appointed Special Inquirer into the January 2016 Waroona (W.A.) bushfire which re-framed rural fire management in W.A.
Euan is a former Vice President of the International Association of Wildland Fire; a Director on the North East (Vic) Catchment Management Authority and Chair of NECMA’s Audit and Risk Committee; a former Co-Chair of the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Disaster Management and Public Safety International Liaison Committee. Euan is a Registered Forestry Professional and sits on Forestry Australia’s Forest Fire Management Committee.
In October this year, Euan was appointed as Chair of the North Central Catchment Management Authority.
Euan and his wife Kristin reside at, and manage, a 900ha mixed grain farm located at Woosang between Wedderburn and Charlton in north west Victoria. Since 2010, Euan has been the Principal Consultant and Director of Euan Ferguson Pty Ltd.
Chris Cunningham
North East CMA
Christine (Chris) is an experienced Non-Executive Director and Chairman with more than 15 years experience on health, social enterprise and education boards. She is currently Deputy-Chair Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Board, Chair of the Quality and Population Health Committee and Chair of the Workplace Culture Review Committee. Chris is also Deputy Chair of the Merriwa Industries Board, a NFP providing all-abilities employment. Chris was previously the Chair, Northeast Health Wangaratta (NHW, 2009-2014) and a past member of a TAFE board. She operates a boutique research, evaluation and governance consultancy for government, NFP and private sector organisations. Chris is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors with a PhD from the University of Melbourne and a Master’s Degree in Science (Applied Statistics). Chris is also a primary producer with a farm on the King River.
Mikaela Power
West Gippsland CMA
Mikaela holds qualifications in arts, education, business and company directorship. She has worked in the public and private sectors in Gippsland, Melbourne and overseas. Mikaela was a Baw Baw Shire Councillor from 2012-2020, and Mayor in 2019. During this time she was Deputy Chair of the Periurban Group Of Rural Councils and chaired the West Gippsland Library Board for four years. Her community involvement includes Landcare, education, sport and the arts. Mikaela and her family have lived in west, south and central Gippsland and now live on a small farm in West Gippsland.
Ewan Waller
East Gippsland CMA
Ewan Waller is a farmer in the East Gippsland region. He was previously the Chief Fire Officer for Victorian public land management fire agencies, with past forestry and fire related roles. Mr Waller has a Masters degree in Rural and Regional Planning.
